To All the Michael Witt fans.

[Jake the snake]

The dux is spot on.

We lost the game because we had no direction from the half back who was No where to be seen.

I've said it before and I'll say It again Witt has not got what it takes to be a half back it comes naturally and u can't just pick it up. You have to be a leader organising everything on the field and you have to have a bit of vision as well. which Witt has none of.

Our forwards matched it with the Penrith Pack today but our half back failed miserably. And all the people who say its was not Witts fault have no f**king Idea about Footy.

Id like to give a rare rap to Vella, I bag him out so much its not funny but if he plays like that more often he will actually deserve the money that he is on.

 

[HRVTSKA]

Use all make me sick.....
WITT IS ONLY 20....what do you expect...
one week you say no matter how his goin put up there to get more experience...now when he is up there and learning you say drop him! his not good enough.....Can you please tell me any number 7 that was a good player as a 20 yr old, when johns was 20 half of you didnt even know him....
Use all expect him to be our answer.... but his not his just a piece in the puzzle!
If we persist with him something special can occur because he does have the game it just a matter of fininding it at a consistant basis!!!!
I swear half of you dont know what ur on about!!!! U wouldnt see a young good potentially great halfback if it bit u on ur arse!
I would rather lose everygame by 40 with witt there then win without him there!
HE does have talent! He has a mind for the game...but his only 20 for f**k sake.....man go learn something about football then come back with decent comments!
If you cant see witt has got what it takes to become a great half then u dont know anything....because by his play you can see he knows what to do but his game isnt developed enough....3rd game in 1st(its like the beginning of the season for him in 1st....he hasnt played with them this yr much, n i tell you if he played like he did tonight at the start of a season most of ur comments would be much different :evil:

 

[Stagger eel]

Most of you are right on this one!!

Witt, as a halfback had the opportunity to take the game by the scruff of the neck. Our forwards matched them, Morris looked dangerous from Dummy half and the opposition we're rattled early! A good halfback would well and truley taken control of the situation. He didn't!

I don't think we'll lose much playing Thorman but that also remains to be seen whether we'll gain as well.

Tim Smith played at stand off last night and seemed lost out there, he did kick the ball out on the full at 1 stage, but I get the feeling he's the sort of bloke who relish being the "Man" and as much as I'd like to hold him back to atleast next year, maybe we won't have a choice in a few weeks.

 

[Jake the snake]

Tim Smith is not a 5/8, he is a genuine 1st receiver. I dont know why they are persisting with Thormann at half back and hampering Smith development by playing 5/8.

 

[Stagger eel]

Tim Smith is not a 5/8, he is a genuine 1st receiver. I dont know why they are persisting with Thormann at half back and hampering Smith development by playing 5/8.

yeah! it's a strange decision don't know who's responsible for that, whether it's Matt Cameron or Brian Smith but I can only suspect that he is trying to groom or prepare Thorman in that position as a back up or option for the rest of the year.

 

[MrT]

I think Witt would make a great 5/8, he's already big and strong, can even stand in a tackle and offload. We need a pure No.7. Tim Smith is showing signs, but he
may not be in 1st grade for another 2 years

 

[Hollywood Jesus]

Witt will be a great player of the future - don't doubt that.

He does have an excellent long kicking game, and put in quite a few metre eaters that found grass last night. His short kicking game can also be good, but is mostly 50/50 atm

However, last night we did not have the 5th tackle options that we needed. This did not really have to do with long kicks on the 5th, but mainly when we were inside their 30 and looking at having some scoring options.

Bombs put up did not come down near the tryline but instead around the ten, meaning they needed a bat back and thus a lottery. There was no effective short kicks to the in goal that gave our three-quarters chances to score, and no deliberate runs on the last that were part of any plan to exploit defensive patterns from the Panthers.

More often than not our 5th tackle options were rushed, a good example being where Hindy eventually got the ball on the last near the Panthers line and didn't know what to do with it.

This was partly due to only having one ball playing half. If we had have had Dykes on the field or Morris in a permanent 5/8 role, then Witt could have directed the team for 4 tackles and then let his partner in the halves step up to finish the set. Witt is only 20 and is still working on his full game. In time it will come, but last night it wasn't there, unfortunately.

Note that this is exactly why Smith said he wasn't pushing Witt into firsts, something many people b*tched and moaned about. Smith knows that Witt needs time to develop his full game to a point where he can continually run full sets of 6 one after the other, where he can switch his thoughts from his hands to his feet in a snap.

Time is what Witt needs, and not people calling for the coach's head because they aren't getting to see their favourite player in Firsts.

 

[Utey]

With Thorman, Witt and Smith all 1/2 backs we are really screwing ourselves when throman drops out of the 17 and plays halfback for prems and then smith is pushed in 5/8. Witt in not the same since he got that shoulder injury. I think again our 5th tackloe option was extremly poor but that will improve iam sure. Tim Smith has a long way to go to get into 1st grade on skill not injury based reasons. Witt has his days but once his confidences gets up he will fiore for us and he needs to play with a good 5/8. Wagon tries but his not a utility his a lock.

 

[Eels Dude]

Witt has no help. What can we expect of a bloke who's playing without a regular 5'8th next to him and basically has to take the whole playmaking pressure on himself. His game does need improvement, but so does everyone's at his age. Give him a break, and let him show his stuff instead of being so quick to criticize him.

 

[JessEel]

witty took a couple of games last year to find his feet and shine. he's played, what... 3 games in firsts this year? with a two week break in the middle?? i think he needs to find his rythm, and his confidence and he'll be more comfortable.

I know someone else said this but i can't remember wwho, but anyway, i agree! ;-) i don't think he gets as much ball as he should in order to lead us around the paddock.. i know he should get in there and demand it or whatever, but i think he is still young and might still be intimidated by telling your vella's and your hindmarsh's what to do..

last but not least, wagon is not the type of 5/8th that can assist witty in these things. wagon is a lock. there is a reason players have these set positions godammit!!! witty needs someone who can take over if he's not having a great game, (i hate to say these words but..) someone like a lockyer, which we just don't have. Dykesy even, with his halfback experience, would go well at 5/8th with witty at half.

Dykes. 6
Witt. 7

Morris. 9

Wagon. 13

Hopkins. 14 as he can play hooker, half or back row. Utilities belong on the bench!!

 

[Eelectrica]

Dykes. 6
Witt. 7

Morris. 9

Wagon. 13

Hopkins. 14 as he can play hooker, half or back row. Utilities belong on the bench!!

That's all well and good but we finally get Witt and Dykes combo together then Witt get suspended for two weeks. Witt comes back then Dykes gets injured and is out for who knows how long.
Kinda makes it difficult to have Dykes and Witt together.

 

[fish eel]

Witt goes OK

He did some good things last year, souths game aside. I remember some wonderful short kicks that reulted in tries.

But,

He didn't o as well last year as many say. There were matches late in the season where he was so ineffectual he was benched, and it wasn't his or the coaches fault, he was playing half out of necessity.

He did show promise though, thats why Bennett has earmarked him in the ermerging squad. But he is only a kid, and not really ready to lead a first grade side around the paddock.

And....that is something that Brian Smith knows, thats why witt was in reserve grade at the years start....and smith was getting bagged for it!

Tim Smith might develop into a better half than witt. but anyone who says he is a better option currently is kidding.